Fingerprikk

Fingerprikk, or finger-prick, is a medical technique for obtaining a small sample of capillary blood by puncturing the fingertip. It is commonly used for point-of-care testing and home monitoring, providing a rapid alternative to venous blood draws.

Procedure and equipment: A sterile lancet is used to create a tiny puncture on the fingertip after cleaning with an alcohol swab. A drop of blood is then collected on a test strip or into a capillary tube for analysis. Glucose meters, rapid diagnostic tests, and some home-based kits rely on fingerprick samples.

Applications: In diabetes care, fingerprick testing is used to measure blood glucose levels between visits. It is also used to perform rapid infectious disease tests, anemia screening, and other point-of-care assays in clinics or at home.

Advantages and limitations: The method is quick, inexpensive, portable, and minimizes the need for venipuncture. Limitations include small sample volume, potential contamination with tissue fluid, and technique-dependent accuracy. Some assays are not validated for capillary blood, and results may differ from venous samples.

Safety and handling: Use of single-use lancets reduces risk of infection. Proper disposal in sharps containers is essential. Skin irritation or bruising can occur at the puncture site, and care should be taken to avoid reusing equipment and to follow manufacturer instructions for test devices.